Unborn
by Rhea Silverkeys
Summary: Complete. The souls of wizarding children dwell here before they enter our world. Most are excited to leave, but two best friends aren't sure they want to go. Then one of them runs into trouble. It doesn't look like he'll see the outside after all...
1. Part One

**A/N: This is the first of two parts. The second bit was too long to be fitted here, and it's written in a different style anyway.**

**Summary: The souls of wizarding children dwell here before they enter our world. Most are excited to leave, but two best friends aren't sure they want to go. Then one of them runs into trouble. It doesn't look like he'll see the outside after all...**

**Unborn: Part One **

It's an odd place, you could say. At times it is peaceful, but sometimes it is chaos – that's when the outside world is interfering. It does that a lot, the outside. Sometimes I'm not sure I want to go there. It seems so cruel sometimes, yet it was love from the outside that made me.

Love. We feel a lot of it in here. It permeates the air, the entire space. It seeps right into you, makes you feel nice and warm and usually quite sleepy.

I can't remember how I got here. None of us can. My earliest memory, when I search for it, is of waking up in this place. I didn't want to wake up at the time. It'd been so warm, so cosy…I hadn't wanted to open my eyes.

But then I did, and it was to find myself here. Dimly lit, an entire space so huge you couldn't even make out the sides. And there were others here; some of them older, some the same age as me. Most of them are very solitary. They keep to themselves, and seldom talk except maybe to say that they're leaving, that it's time.

They leave for the outside, I know. I wonder what it's like there. No one ever comes back to tell us. They just turn around and say goodbye, and then a light appears, and they disappear through it. Most of them are happy to leave, despite the chaos we know is out there.

_Ronald is leaving soon_.

It's Mark. At least, currently his name is Mark. It switches between Harry and Mark often; his parents haven't really made up their minds yet. I open my eyes. He's sitting cross-legged before me, this black-haired, green-eyed person.

_How soon?_ I ask.

_Very. Come, let's say goodbye._

I follow Mark a short distance away. We pass many people, most of them travelling the same way we are. When someone leaves, we all go to say goodbye. Ronald is sitting next to a few girls, who move away as Mark and I come closer. The redhead looks happy, happier than I've ever seen him. I wonder, fleetingly, if I will be like that when I leave.

_Hello, you two._ Ronald grins at us. _It's almost time._ He gives a little kick, and a surge of warmth washes over us.

I smile back at him. It's easy to smile, here. _I have a wish for you. I wish for your life to be happy and filled with joy. _Wishes are traditions; we each give the leaver a wish, something for them to take into their lives as they enter the outside world.

_And I wish that we'll meet again in the outside_, Mark says. _Do you think we'll still know each other?_

_I don't know_, Ronald ponders. _We don't know anything about the outside, do we? Just remember this. _And he points towards his red hair.

Just then the light appears: a small pinprick somewhere above Ronald's head. It slowly grows brighter, and bigger, and Ronald is drawn inevitably to it. Snatches of the outside world come in, harsh voices and an odd smell I cannot place. Ronald is disappearing head-first. He's barely said goodbye.

The voices from the outside come in muffled, but still harsh. Then Ronald's legs disappear, and the light is extinguished. He's gone.

_That was an easy leaving_, Mark comments. It's true, as we both can recall Lisa's leaving just a short while ago. We had heard the frustration in the outside world, been rocked in ours by fear and pain, and in the end Lisa had had to leave feet first, crying and unwilling to go.

We turn back and Mark stops, considering something for a moment. _Hmm. I appear to be called Harry now._

Harry, then. I remember clearly the first time we met. He'd been called Harry, at the time, too. His eyes had been a bit duller, then, not as green as they were now. Even so, they sparkled enough to attract my attention. And he in turn had been amused by my name.

_Are you sure that's what they're calling you?_

I huffed. _Of course. My name has been set since…well, forever, it seems like._

_Mine hasn't_, Harry told me. _It keeps changing. I have the feeling they're arguing over it, and they allow each other to keep the name for a short period of time._

I laughed. It was a bubbly sort of laugh, one we all shared. _I suppose mine already decided in advance._

Harry nodded. _I suppose so._

We talk about many things, Harry and I. The others aren't as talkative, though some are friendly enough. Ronald was friendly, though more often than not it was Harry who sought me out, or me who sought him, after we awoke from the sleep we always indulged ourselves in. We sometimes slept side-by-side, waking up to continue a conversation before drifting off again.

One of our earliest conversations had been about our parents. Even now, it is a recurring topic. We would guess at their features, their personalities. Our mothers were always easier, despite us being boys.

_She loves me_, Harry had said confidently. _That's one thing I know for sure._

_I think we all know that for sure_, I'd replied dryly. I yawned suddenly; I did that a lot, and so did Harry. _I don't think I look anything like her._

_Really? I think I do, just a bit._

_She's delicate, mine is,_ I recalled. _I always sneeze in here, and it's because of her. _The outside world always interacted with ours at certain levels; we almost always felt the repercussions of it.

_Mine's sick now._ And as if to illustrate, Harry sneezed and followed it up with a cough. _But it doesn't happen often._

_Lucky you. _I don't particularly like sneezing.

Harry hiccupped after a bit and grinned. _Ice cream. Yum._

I groaned. _No fair. Mine keeps having things like…like…_

_Lobster? _Harry had suggested.

_Yes, and…crab, and shells, and fish, and…well, not that I don't like them, but I want ice cream, too. _There was a plaintive tone to my words. A few moments later something cold and very delicious splashed through my throat. Could mother hear me? _That's __cold__…you didn't tell me ice cream was so cold._

_It's nice. Don't think it's very good for my mother, though, if she's sick._ And Harry sneezed again.

Harry gets ice cream a lot. I only get it when I really want it; I don't think mother likes it much. After the first shock, I'd decided I liked ice cream, too. Harry's quite nice about it, and doesn't usually tell me if he's having some, because I hardly ever get it.

I can tell he's got some now. He's got that delighted look on his face, and he always gets that when his mother's having ice cream or something nice. I yawn and go to sleep instead; mother's tired, and I'm feeling especially warm and cosy today.

When I wake up, Harry's dozing beside me. I'm feeling rather active at the moment, and in a fit of boredom, I kick. Almost immediately, a warm wash of comfort and love pours over me. Harry opens his eyes slowly, turning to look at me.

I grin. _Nice._ And I kick again, and that lovely warm surge washes over me. Harry laughs at the contented look on my face. Then he shakes his head as I urge him to do the same, to kick as well.

_It's not my time yet._

_When is it your time, then?_

Harry considers it for a moment. _Soon, I think. You're going to leave first._

_I know._ I stop kicking and frown. _I want to leave at the same time as you. But I guess, when you leave, then we can explore the outside together…?_

_Yes. What do you think it'll be like?_

I laugh. _You know I can't answer that. This is the only thing I know._

_Me too._

There is a short silence.

_Are you scared?_

A slight pause.

_Very_, I answer. I don't need to hear Harry's reply to know that he is, as well. The outside world…something we know very little about, except that our parents are there, and that one day we'll all enter it. We know it's where love comes from, but we know too that it's cruel and harsh. Who wouldn't be afraid of something so unknown?

_I'm curious, though. I want to find out what it's like_, I say to Harry.

_Me too. It'll be fun with you there,_ Harry decides. _You're the only interesting person around here to –_ He broke off suddenly.

_Harry? What is it?_

He doesn't answer. Instead, he's starting to look afraid. In a few moments I understand why, as I begin to feel what he feels: a faint shuddering in the space, echoes of pain and fear that slowly grow stronger and stronger. Something's wrong.

_Har –_

I never finish my sentence. A sudden jolt throws me off balance, and when I regain it I don't see Harry anymore. Instead there's a big mound in front of me, and looking around I see other mounds and even valleys separating all of us. The pain and fear has grown so strong now it's fighting with the comfort we normally feel.

I do the only thing I can think of: climb the mound in front of me. Harry's behind it, I'm sure. And he's the one in trouble, if he caught wind of the disturbance first. The mound isn't easy to climb; it's slippery and I keep sliding halfway down.

When I finally make it to the top a terrifying sight greets me: Harry, hanging by one hand over a chasm so deep it fades into black. I can't even see the bottom. His hand is slipping. Almost instinctively, I grab it, and almost lose my footing.

Harry looks frantic. _Let go of me._

_Are you insane? No!_

I know what that chasm is: death. Something terribly wrong has happened in the outside world; Harry's mother is in danger, and because of that so is Harry. I can't let him fall through the chasm. I can't let him die.

_It's pulling me in. I don't think…if you hold on, it'll take you, too._ Harry turns pleading eyes on me. _Let me go._

I shake my head and heave harder. It doesn't seem to help. Pain and anguish has escalated, and I'm feeling decidedly colder.

_If you don't let go you're going to fall in, too! Dra –_

_I don't care. I don't care if I fall, too. I'm not letting you go. _In reality I haven't thought that much about it, but I do know that whatever happens, I'm not going to let Harry go.

Harry swings his other arm up and I grab it. I slip a little further over the mound. A small quake rocks the space and I almost lose my grip on Harry as I struggle to stay on the mound, but just manage to hold on.

_That chasm really wants me_...

_It won't get you_, I promise. I'm starting to shiver from the cold.

Another quake, larger this time. I'm quite sure my grip on Harry is painful, but I'm too afraid of losing him. Then another, and with a cry, I suddenly lose my footing and am thrown over the edge and into the chasm.

Harry's with me. He seems heavier, though, perhaps because he's the one marked for death, not me. He looks stricken. _I brought you with me. I am so sorry –_

_Don't be. I did this. I held onto you,_ I tell him firmly. Then I see something to make me gasp. The chasm has a bottom. This is how we are going to die.

I hit it, hard, and almost lose my grip on Harry. Then the ground beneath me rises, so fast I forget to keep hold of my friend, and then I realise Harry is behind this new mound, and I tighten my grip again, and just manage to hold onto his hand. I use my other hand to get a firmer grip, just before another quake rocks us.

There's another, and throughout it all I just hold on, because I don't want to lose him, not now. And before I know it we're falling again, and now Harry's trying to twist away from me.

_What are you doing?!_

_It wants __me__, you idiot! Let me go, it'll take me and you'll go back!_

_No! I don't care, I'm not letting go!_

_You're a real idiot, you know that – whoa!_

I look at him in shock. We're flying – up. And slowly, the edges of the chasm can be seen and not long after, we're being deposited gently onto the floor. As we continue to watch in shock and awe, the chasm becomes smaller and smaller, and finally just disappears.

I look around. Everything else has settled down, as well. The mounds and valleys that appeared earlier have disappeared, and the floor of the space is back to its usual gentle slopes. Slowly, the coldness that enveloped us recedes, and warmth surges over me again. I look at Harry. He's staring at me, a mixture of emotions in his face and eyes that I can't quite make out.

_You…you didn't have to hold on to me, you know._

_Yes, I did_, I tell him fiercely. When Harry fails to speak up again, I continue. _Look, it'll be no fun going outside without you there, and it'd be pretty boring without you __here__, too. Can you imagine me surviving with this lot? _And I wave my hand vaguely around the space

He knows I'm making light of the situation, and says so.

_I've never heard of someone questioning the person who saved his life_, I remark as an answer to him.

_No one here saves each other's lives_, Harry pointed out quietly. _Thank you_.

* * *

_I'm leaving soon._

_I know._

I gulp. Going outside…the thought fills me with anticipation and fear at the same time. In here there's comfort, warmth and love everywhere. Harry (who has undergone yet another set of name changes) is here, a companion I do not want to lose. I don't know if I'll remember him when I go outside. I don't know if I'm even going to meet him.

I fear the harshness of the outside. It doesn't seem as full of comfort as it does here. There are different smells there, different sounds. I know it'll be very different from here, and it's that difference that scares me.

But I remember, too, the light I see whenever someone leaves. It's fascinating, and I want to explore it. I want to see what lies beyond it, even though I have no idea what it'll be like.

_Do you want your wish now, or later?_ Harry asks me.

I'm full of jitters for what's to come. To keep my mind off it, I tell Harry I'd like it now.

_Okay._ Harry smiles. _I wish that, no matter what happens, we will remember each other for as long as we live._

_That's a nice wish_, I tell him.

_Thanks_, he grins. _I don't think we can forget each other. You saved my life, for goodness' sake!_

I realise something. _I won't be able to give you a wish when you leave!_

Harry shrugs. _It's alright. My wish covers both of us, really._

_I'll give you one, anyway. I wish…_ I think on it for a bit before continuing. _I wish for you to live life to the fullest, to find your purpose in it and to never, no matter what happens, lose yourself._

Harry looks surprised and pleased at the same time. _Thanks, Draco. I didn't know you were so eloquent._ And he snorts as I hit him over the head.

I stop suddenly. _I think it's time._

The others have realised it, too. They're all saying goodbye to me now; some of the faces are familiar, but most of them aren't. I never really notice who's around me.

Harry points upwards; I look and see a circle of light above me. I realise that I don't feel afraid anymore, merely excited. The light seems to have calmed my nerves, and I'm anticipating going towards it. I hear voices and smell things I've never heard or smelled before, but these voices aren't harsh, and I'm looking forward to finding out what's causing them.

I give Harry one last look as I'm pulled towards the light. He seems sorrowful yet happy at the same time. I understand; we don't know, really, when or even if we'll meet again.

_Take care_, I call out.

_Farewell, friend_, he says in reply.

Then my head plunges into the light, and I can see and hear Harry no more.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm, what did you think? I've never written in this style before. Reviews welcome, and so is constructive criticism. The second bit should be up in a week or so.**

**Oh, and wasn't Deathly Hallows amazing? I loved it!**


	2. Part Two

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I loved them all!**

**This chapter is more like a series of vignettes, detailing snapshots of Harry's and Draco's lives. Written in a different style to the first one.**

**Edit at 10 pm, 4 Aug: I forgot to thank _cathrl_, who helped me with most of the scenes. Her insight into the behaviour of one year olds and five year olds was invaluable. Thank you!  
**

**Unborn: Part Two  
**

"Harry," the pretty, auburn-haired woman told the occupants of the room. Her brilliant green eyes sparkled. "We've settled on Harry." In her arms a baby boy lay fast asleep. The thin, black-haired, bespectacled man sitting beside her on the hospital bed put his arm around her and grinned.

"Not Mark, eh?" the other black-haired man in the room enquired, leaning against the wall. He whispered loudly into another man's ear: "I knew James would give in to her."

Remus Lupin laughed. "Don't let James hear you, Sirius."

"Already did, as you very well know," the man on the bed spoke up good-naturedly. He gazed into the bundle in his wife's arms. "He's beautiful, isn't he?"

"Mm," Lily agreed, sighing contentedly as she leaned against James.

The woman standing beside the bed chuckled. "You know, it's still amazing to see James as a father. Our days at Hogwarts aren't that far away yet."

James turned a little red, and Lily laughed.

"But James was such perfect father material then," Sirius argued jokingly. "I mean, he ran around with a stolen Snitch, ran around some more getting into trouble, and then landed into detention with me!"

"Oy, careful, you," James shot at him. Sirius just waggled his eyebrows at the former Quidditch House player.

The door to the ward opened and in hurried a small, rather plump man with watery eyes and thin hair. "I'm so sorry!" he squeaked, coming to a stop just beside the bed. "We had some trouble with the Dutch, one of their Ministers is missing, and –" he stopped. "I'm bringing my work with me again, aren't I? Suffice to say – work emergency got in the way. I can't believe I missed the birth!"

"That's alright, Peter," Lily said. "Come and have a look at Harry!aHa"

And Peter ooh-ed and ah-ed over newborn baby Harry as Sirius, James and Remus all shared significant looks. Peter couldn't fool them; his work emergency had had something to do with Voldemort again, as it always did at the Department of International Magical Co-operation these days. Voldemort had been spreading his wings a little as of late, and there'd already been disappearances in France that had Peter doing all-nighters at the office.

"To think," Peter shuddered, some time later, when the Marauders (minus James) had some time alone. "That this boy almost didn't even make it to this day!"

Despite the warmth in the room Remus shivered. "I know. When I think about it, I get goose bumps all over." He rubbed his hand over his arms.

"It's lucky you were there, Sirius," Peter said.

Sirius shook his head, his handsome face sombre. "By the time I got to her, Lily was already hurt. But I got her out of there in time, thank Merlin."

He could remember the day clearly. It had been just a few months before Harry was due, and Lily, James and him had been in Driselle's, a restaurant located in one of the side streets off Diagon Alley. It was a small place, and they'd managed to put some Charms in before entering the restaurant; as prominent Order members, they were a viable target for any Death Eater attack.

Sirius had forgotten something in a shop they'd been in earlier. A gift for Peter's upcoming birthday, something he'd been looking high and low for for weeks. And so, excusing himself and earning himself a glare from the maitre d', he'd hurried from Driselle's and into Diagon Alley to retrieve the present, hoping very much that it was still there.

It was on his way back, just as he entered the side street, that he heard the screams. He couldn't explain how, but he had a sick feeling in his stomach that the trouble was at Driselle's. He ran, arriving at the smoky entrance of the restaurant within seconds. He couldn't see inside clearly. Where were Lily and James? Had the Death-Eaters got them? There had been no doubt in his mind at the time of the source of the attack.

"_Stupefy_!" Sirius roared at a hooded figure as he ran into the restaurant. The figure dropped as Sirius' eyes sought out other similar figures; Death Eaters were not hard to spot. Almost immediately he began hexing, throwing a Bat Bogey Hex there, an Impediment Jinx to his right and another Stunning Charm to his left.

He took cover behind the maitre d's counter, fired off more spells and tried to get closer to the table Lily and James had been at earlier. Chancing a glance around, he caught sight of a black-haired man firing off spells and duelling: James. When he emerged from behind the counter, intending to make for a rather large unoccupied table, he found himself face-to-face with a Death Eater.

"_Cru –_"

"_Protego_!" Sirius shouted instinctively. "_Incendio_!" Then he made a violent movement with his wand and the Death Eater collapsed.

He staggered forward suddenly; it felt as though a large boulder had slammed against him. Twisting around and trying to maintain balance at the same time, he managed to keep his wand out as another Death Eater tried to Curse him. He just managed to block the spell. Then a fierce duel began between them; spells were flying at each other faster than the eye could register, and Sirius won only when the Death Eater tripped over a fallen tray of food.

He bent low and navigated his way to the table, ignoring most of the shouts and screams around him. He'd long learned that in attacks like these, you couldn't save everyone. Sirius cast another jinx at a large, bulky Death Eater. He had to get to James and Lily. Not only were they his friends (and one of them his best), as Order members he couldn't allow them to get caught. They knew too much. If they were tortured for information…Sirius cast the thought away and concentrated on getting to his goal.

There was a lot of blood on the floor. And then he'd seen it, an image so piercing that he could recall it to his mind as clear as when he'd first experienced it, even months after the event. Lily, James' Lily, lying in a pool of blood…so much blood that at first, Sirius couldn't even tell where she was hurt.

"Lily!" he kneeled beside her, grasped her hand. She looked up at him, but he could tell that already she was going into shock. _James must not know yet. _"_Protego_. James!" he roared as loudly as he could. "Get out of here _now_!" He did not doubt that James would obey him. They were such good friends that their trust in each other was complete.

It would not be good to Apparate with Lily so injured – but what other choice did he have? It was the only way to get her to safety. "Lily?" Sirius asked her urgently. "Lily, I'm going to Apparate. I want you to hold on tightly to me, okay?" She gave no sign that she'd heard him.

Sirius grabbed her shaking body and Disapparated.

"You were _really_ lucky that none of the Death Eaters managed to successfully hex you when you found Lily," Remus commented.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair as Peter nodded. "Everything about that day was lucky. I was so afraid Lily would get Splinched on the Side-Along Apparition."

"And we almost lost Harry that day, too." James had slipped in sometime while Sirius was talking. "The Healers say it was an absolute miracle, really, that they both survived. They can't really explain it. Whatever gods are out there…well. You know what I mean. It's as if she'd had some Felix Felicis," James said. "Seeing her that day, with all that blood…" He shook his head and shivered. "Let's talk about something else. Like why you –" he directed his attentions to Peter – "were late. What's happened with the Dutch?"

"Oh, way to pick a cheerier topic, Prongs," Peter said dryly. "Well, it's like this…"

* * *

The bouncing toddler in Narcissa Malfoy's arms grinned up at him. When Lucius Malfoy bent down to kiss his wife, the little boy pulled at his sleek blond hair and giggled.

"Da!" he exclaimed.

Lucius ruffled his son's hair. "Naughty one, aren't you?" He looked into grey eyes that were so much like his own. "It's 'Father'."

The boy stared in silence at the man, and then repeated, "dada!"

"Oh, do wait until the boy can speak properly, darling," Narcissa said.

Lucius sighed. "And there goes our next social function…"

"He's just a child," Narcissa pointed out. "Excuses can be made for him."

"Yes, well, I want him taught proper etiquette as soon as possible." Lucius took his son into his arms, where he continued playing with his hair. "He's a bit _hyper_, isn't he?" he commented as Draco attempted to steal his father's wand and squirmed when he was held for too long.

Narcissa smiled fondly. "I suspect he'll grow out of it soon enough. Draco, come here, come to Mummy!" She held out her hands to him.

The boy climbed out of his father's lap and tottered unsteadily to his mother, hands held out for balance. He almost fell halfway there, but it didn't bother him; if anything, he giggled more and continued to seek out his mother's arms.

"Good boy!" Narcissa hugged him as he reached her. "Come on, dear, I'll give you a treat. How about chocolate?"

Draco shook his head. Behind him, Lucius was beginning to smile. He knew what was going to come next.

"No? What do you want, then?"

"Keem!" he pronounced happily. "Keem!"

Narcissa sighed. "You want ice cream? Again?"

Now the boy nodded enthusiastically. "Keem! Keem!"

"Well, at least I don't have to eat it anymore," Narcissa muttered. Raising her voice, she called out, "Dobby!"

* * *

"Where did you go, Daddy?" The five-year-old boy looked up from his blocks of clay as Lucius Malfoy strode into the room.

"Where's your mother?" Lucius asked, ignoring the question, not even bothering to remind Draco to call him 'father'.

"Upstairs," Draco said. "Where did you go, Daddy?"

"I went to see a friend," Lucius answered, walking towards the other end of the room.

"What friend?" Draco asked. Without waiting for an answer he showed his father his blocks of clay. "Look! I made a horse! And it's moving!"

"I don't really have time for this, Draco," Lucius began impatiently.

"Don't you like my horse?" Draco asked, a pout beginning to form on his lips.

"It's wonderful, darling." Narcissa Malfoy swept into the room and kissed him on his forehead. "Why don't you go play with it over there? There's a good boy." She turned to her husband, wrinkling her nose. "Really, Lucius, speaking to him like that."

"You're spoiling him, Cissy, he seems to believe the world should revolve around him, when it doesn't," Lucius said.

"Yes, but he's –"

"Just a child, I know. Now, I just got back from the Ministry. It looks like that law on werewolves might be delayed, after all!" The tall blond man smiled. "The only person who might be iffy about delaying it and is important enough is Jamiers, but he's easily bullied. I just need to talk to him before…" Lucius glanced at his watch. The hour hand was pointing to a fluttering book. "Well, soon. I just need to pop upstairs for some leverage on him. I'll be back in time for dinner, Cissy, don't you worry." Without waiting for a reply he Disapparated, eager to catch Jamiers before it was too late.

Narcissa wondered at her husband's social connections, grateful that he wielded so much power in the Ministry of Magic. _I'd hate to imagine going to the Ministry or Gringotts and having __werewolves__ serve me. Awful creatures._

"Mummy, Mummy! I made Dobby!"

Sure enough, a miniature figurine of the family house elf (though badly disfigured), was looking up at her. Narcissa knelt down and picked up some orange clay.

"That's nice, darling, but why do you want to waste your blocks on a house elf? Why don't you make a dragon? They're better, and that's what your name means, you know," Narcissa told him, shaping the orange clay with her hands.

Draco took the clay from her. "Draco means dragon?" Narcissa nodded as he continued shaping the clay. It took him a while to make the dragon, whose wings were far too big for its body, and whose limbs were so small you could barely see them. Narcissa watched him as the sky outside began to darken. When he was done, he used the dragon to terrorise the people he'd made earlier, "the Muggles," he explained to his mother when asked, and then to crush the miniature family house elf (Narcissa had clapped at that).

Then he brought out another figure from under the table. It was a lot bigger than the other people he had made, and he'd managed to put detail such as eyes onto the face of the figure. The figure was blond, and Draco had put a twig into the black blob that was its body.

"Who's that, Draco?" Narcissa asked. She knew it was meant to be someone special – her son wouldn't have made it so big otherwise.

Draco gave her an exasperated look. "It's Daddy, can't you tell? I made him tall, just like Daddy is. And there's his wand." He pointed to the twig sticking out. Then he grinned. "Daddy can beat anything!" And he promptly used the figure to destroy the dragon, before giving it a burial and saying solemnly that the dragon was a very "nice creature, but it killed stuff so it was bad".

Lucius arrived home just before dinner, announcing to a delighted Draco that after dinner they could go out for some ice cream. Narcissa thought her husband must have been very successful to be in such a good mood.

Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour was not very packed when they reached. Lucius nodded at a few of the patrons, though the more important ones he actually greeted. Draco immediately ran over to the ice creams, asking for a bit of each flavour to try. The girl behind the counter was very friendly with him and gave him large samples.

"So," she asked, when Draco had tried everything, "what flavour would you like?"

"Everything?" Draco tried hopefully, looking from the girl to his mother.

Narcissa laughed. "Two flavours, Draco, that's it."

The boy's lip trembled. "Everything, I want everything!" Narcissa sensed a temper tantrum coming on as he scrunched up his eyes.

"Your mother said _two_, Draco, and that's what you're getting." Lucius had returned from greeting the people he knew. He looked at his son sternly. "And if you don't want two you won't get _anything_."

"I want two," Draco said immediately.

"Good boy," Lucius said. "Now choose your flavours, go on."

Draco scrunched up his nose in thought. "Chocolate and…and…that green one." He pointed at the one he meant.

"This green one?" the girl asked, scooping up another sample of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Draco sucked on the sample spoon and nodded.

The girl checked with Narcissa for approval, then began scooping up the ice cream. Meanwhile Draco had taken to talking to a girl of about eleven, who was standing beside him. "Are you buying ice cream, too?" he had asked. She'd nodded shyly. Behind her, a man in Muggle clothing was asking one of the attendants, "I suppose this tastes the same as normal ice cream, then?"

"I suppose by normal you mean Muggle…well, I wouldn't know, would I, having never tried it? But we've got some Jumping Jellybeans that you can add…"

The man turned to his wife. "Jumping Jellybeans, fancy that! We must go into a wizarding sweetshop after this, dear…"

"Are those your parents?" Draco asked.

She nodded. "I'm starting Hogwarts this year. Have you been there to visit before?"

"No, but I've heard it's great. It's a really big castle – thank you!" Draco grinned up at the attendant and turned back to the girl. Hogwarts was forgotten as he licked on his ice cream. "Have you tried the green one? It's very nice." And he held out his cone to the girl for her to try.

Just as she reached out for it both her hand and the ice cream were knocked away. Both children looked up, surprised and shocked, into the face of Lucius Malfoy, whose eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Daddy?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"Don't talk to her, Draco," he commanded. Beside him Narcissa had her nose upturned in distaste.

"But…why?" The boy was bewildered and getting upset because his ice cream was now ruined.

Lucius Malfoy sneered. "Because she's a filthy creature who doesn't even belong here." His voice was soft and carried over only to Draco and the girl, who was looking frightened and on the verge of tears. He took hold of Draco and pulled him away forcefully. "We're leaving."

"No," the boy protested. He cast a look back at the girl, who was now beginning to cry, though her parents had not yet noticed it. "My ice cream!"

"We'll get you some at home."

"But I want this one! And why did you call her filthy?"

"I'll explain when we get home."

"What about my ice cream?" Draco shook his hand out of his father's grip. "I want my ice cream! And I want it from there!" He pointed back to the shop he just left, voice raised.

Narcissa shook her head. "Not today, darling."

"But I want it from there! I want ice cream!" he wailed.

"Draco, you will behave yourself now, before I punish you," Lucius warned him, and Draco stopped wailing. Instead he turned his grey eyes angrily onto his father.

Lucius bent down so he was almost the same height as Draco. "There's something very dirty in that shop today. You don't want to go in with that, do you? We'll bring you back another time, alright? I promise."

Draco considered his father's words. Then he nodded. "Okay."

"Come on, then. Let's go home, and I'll explain about that girl." Lucius reached out his hand. Draco took it after a pause.

"Will I get ice cream when we go home?"

Lucius sighed. "Yes, Draco. You will."

"Thank you, Daddy." And Draco grinned up at him.

Back at the Manor, Lucius propped Draco onto his lap after giving the boy his favourite dessert, which the boy enjoyed very much. "Okay, Draco. Do you remember me telling you how special we were?" Draco nodded. "Why is that, do you think?"

"Because…we live in a big house?" Draco tried. Narcissa smiled at that.

"No, Draco. It's because of our family name."

"Malfoy?"

"Yes, good boy. Our family name's special, it's very old. Everyone in our family was magical, just like you, and me and your mother. Our whole family's been magical. That makes us pureblooded."

"Pureblooded," Draco repeated.

"Not everyone is pureblooded like us. Some people don't have any magical parents, but they can do magic anyway."

"So what are they?" Draco asked.

"Muggle-borns," Lucius replied. "Because their parents are Muggle. We don't like them."

"Why not?"

"Because…well, their parents are Muggle, so they're not magical like us. We're better. They think they're magical, too, but they aren't really proper wizards and witches like your mother and me."

Draco nodded wisely. "They're like fake wizards."

Lucius laughed. "Something like that, yes. They really don't belong in our world, you know. And that girl, the one you wanted to share your ice cream with…she's a Muggle-born. That's why I got angry. I didn't want you associating with someone like her."

"Blech," Draco said. "But why did you call her filthy?"

Lucius considered the question for a moment. "We're pureblooded, remember? We've had magic in our blood for generations, that's why we're pure. She doesn't. Her blood's not fully magical. It's dirty. Filthy."

Draco shuddered. "I almost shared my ice cream with her," he whispered. He looked up at his father. "If she's not a real witch, then why was she in Diagon Alley?"

"Not everyone thinks people like her aren't proper witches and wizards," Lucius sighed. "Unfortunately, some people think they should be allowed to continue learning magic, and being in our world. They think it's all equal, no matter who your father is, but it's not. Purebloods are better, always will be. Do you understand now why I didn't let you share your ice cream with her?"

Draco nodded and hugged him. "I'm glad you brought me away from her, Father."

Lucius smiled and hugged him back.

* * *

"_And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."_

_Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him._

"_Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford."_

_He turned back to Harry._

"_You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."_

_He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it._

"_I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly._

* * *

_- END -_

* * *

**A/N: And thus begins their animosity :P Do review and tell me what you think!**

**Also, some stuff I'd like to further clarify/point out, if you're interested: The Ronald mentioned in the first bit is Ron Weasley, if you haven't figured it out already yet. And on birthdays, Ron's is in March, Draco's is in June and Harry's is in July. The last bit was taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.**


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